Natural rubber is a huge raw material import to this country, second only to petroleum. “Hevea brasiliensis”, the rubber tree, produces the latex which is present in our everyday products ranging from vehicle tires to medical latex gloves. Its pervasive presence is vital to our economics and common place in our daily functioning. We hardly give a second thought to its origins as the sap of an exotic foreign tree. Ironically, as we have experimented with even wider spread of latex’s usefulness, there has been a growing allergic response to its proteins amid our population.

During WWII, the powerful demand for this Asian natural resource put our country in a compromised position. To offset the latex shortage, we turned to an interesting plant that could be grown in the American Southwest, a lowly shrub called guayule (pronounced “why yoo lee”). A natural rubber was processed from the guayule bark. One ton of latex could be harvested from one acre of land. However, at the end of the war with world latex crops once again accessible, the demand for domestic guayule dissipated and guayule cultivation came to an end.

But an interesting facet of guayule has been revisited in recent years by American researchers and entrepreneurs: The homely little guayule bush renders a latex that is free of allergy producing proteins. This could have far-reaching benefits for industrial and medical communities and the public at large.

Latex allergies have become so prevalent and potentially dangerous that Johns Hopkins, the medical center where the latex glove and its uses were originally pioneered, has now declared itself a latex-free environment. Symptoms of a latex allergy can be range from hay-fever type symptoms to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Not something to be taken lightly.

Latex glove usage increased multifold during the 1980’s when HIV awareness triggered new public health practices. This increase had allergy repercussions over time for both medical workers and patients. Nitrile gloves or neoprene gloves have since come into their own, serving as safe, durable alternatives to latex in medical settings. But the thought of latex making a comeback in an allergy- free form and from a domestic crop is intriguing.

The beauty of guayule is more dimensional than its allergy free aspect. It is a truly “green” crop in that it requires only water for its extraction rather than any harmful solvents. As a desert plant, it demands very little water for its cultivation. It does not compete with food crops. It is a perennial so one plant can be reharvested for many years. It requires no herbicides once established and is naturally resistant to fungus and insects. After its latex is harvested, the remaining material shows promise as a bio-fuel resource for ethanol, bio-oil and synthetic gas. A dandy little plant, all in all.

About the author: Jen Long is a consultant and Director of Web Community Outreach for a Disposable Gloves Wholesale Discounter where she is building a library for disposable glove users. Jen invites you to visit this resource, Disposable Gloves Library.

Tags: Allergies